Like a tapestry that’s come unraveled, the Carroll sisters’ relationships have become frayed and worn over the years. Each with totally different lives of their own ... each with their own heartaches but each facing possible life-altering circumstances. A lost daughter, a lost marriage, and a lost child plague each of them. They have learned to isolate themselves by the routine of life and aren’t vulnerable enough to share the pain they all feel. Not until one is facing the most challenging struggle of her life do they all realize they must confront their own fears. And like a delicate tapestry, Laurinda Wallace gently weaves a story of women who are drawn to face the reality of their past that seems to intricately entwine with not only their present but their future. Just when you think you know where the story is heading, it veers off into unknown territory revealing how unexpected life is. They struggle within their own separate emotions, desperately seeking answers. When they realize that change and solutions are beyond their own power, they realize there is One who does control everything. They begin to see that God orchestrates things in His time. The Master weaves His will that is often so different than our own. The sisters realize that running or ignoring their fears does nothing to resolve the pain and heartache. Ms. Wallace has created characters anyone can identify with and circumstances that everyone faces day in and day out. She doesn’t shortchange the readers with easy answers and happy-ever-after solutions. Rather, she shows the reality of life. It’s often not fair, many times overwhelming, and never predictible. This is a novel of family coming to terms with their imperfect past but accepting each other with unconditional love. They rediscover the good memories of childhood and realize this, along with loving parents, is what has brought them to this point in their lives. And it is this foundation that provides the strength each of them needs to face the challenges that await them.

Small towns. Quiet. Peaceful. A safe harbor to weather the storms that assault our lives. Family and friends are there for you – to laugh with and to cry with. But there is an old Chinese saying – “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.” In this rural Western New York town, it may be hard to tell the difference between the two.

Gracie Andersen has moved through the land mines of grief and started a new life doing something she loves – running Milky Way Kennels. But the death of her aunt stirs up more than just memories of Gracie’s more tragic loss of her husband and unborn child. She can’t help but remember another time when she was young and innocent– when the death of her cousin changed everything.

Before his untimely death, Gracie’s uncle leaves her the remnants of her cousin Charlotte’s brief life casting shadows on how the 17-year-old died. Was it hit-and-run or was it something else. After 20 years, clues are hard to come by and suspects are even fewer. But Gracie, trying to do the right thing, seems to be putting herself in the wrong places at the wrong times.

Laurinda Wallace once again weaves a story of family, secrets and surprising revelations, pulling the reader into the serene and secure town of Deer Creek. But don’t let that home town atmosphere lull you into believing small towns are dull. It’s quite the opposite in Deer Creek. With her skillful writing, she is able to not only show readers a sense of place but she’s created a small cast of characters whose lives have mixed and mingled throughout the years, crafting an ambience that contradicts the mystery surrounding an “accidental” death.

The characters and suspense you’ll find in “Family Matters” will cause late nights until secrets are revealed and the mystery is solved.

It’s good to know that this is the first in the “Gracie Andersen” series. Getting to know Gracie’s tenacity and loyalty, along with the heartaches she faced in the past, will leave readers anxious for the next book.